Electric furnace



0t.,3o,1923, 3s T. A. REN

mams FURNAGB Flled Nov, 3, 1921 WITNESSES: SNVENTOR Patented OcLSO, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. REID, OF W'ILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC FURNACE.

Application filed November 2, 1821. Serial No. 512,167.

fo f/Z whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, TnoMAs A. Riem, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident ot Wilkinsburnf. in the county ot: Alle gheuy and State ot Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usciul Improvement in Fleet ric Furnaces, ot' which the 'Following4 is a specification. l

My invention relates lo electric iuri'iaces and particularly to electricmesistance:turnaces and it has tor its object to provide a relatively simple resistor and resistor mounting,r for an electricresistance iurnace. V

In practising my invention. l provide a relatively heavy and preformed resistor member comprising a })lurality of end-corr.

nected convolutions, each having a plurality ot. ippositely offset or crimped portions in the plane ot the convolutions. I provide a plurality o't refractory supportingr means, each haring a plurality of slots ot substantially T-shiipe adjacent to tlieinner faces thereof, within which vtbc resistor member is adapted to be located.

In the single sheet o't drawings,

Figure 1 is a View, in lateral vertical cross section, of an electric furnace coml prisingy the device embodying my invention,

taken on the line l.--l` of Fig. 2;

Fig. Q is a View, in lougritudi al vertical. section oi' an electric-resistance 'furnace comprising the device embodying my invention. taken on the line lI--II ot' Fig. 1;

FirV is an enlarged 'fragmentary View, in side elevation, ot a refractory supporting means and associated resistor members, and

Fig. /t is a. View, in front elevation, of the members illustrated in Fig. 3.

An electrricwesistanee furnace 10 comprises a metallic Vframework orskeleton 11, a plurality of suitable supporting members 1Q, outer side walls i3, a floor 14 and a roof l5 wliieli may be composed ot a plurality of bricks or blocks Aot any suitable lheat-insulatinnr material usually employed in the art. An inner lining 16 is composed of a plurality of bricks or blocks of any suitable high-texnperature-resistingr material usually employed in the art to provide a furnace chamber 17 of any suitable or desired contour and dimensions.

Refractory resistor-supporting means 18 may severally comprise either a plurality of substantially rectangular' bricks or blocks 19 mounted in recesses in the inner lining 16 and projecting` into the chamber 17 or unitary resistor-supportinp; members ot the desiredlengths to conform to the correspondingr din'iensions ot the' linings 16 in which they are mounted. l have illustrated a plurality ot bricks or blocks 19, each haring under-cut side grooves 21 adjacent to their exposed. faces. The exposed ends of the4 blocks are, of less width than their body are crimped or otlset from alternating portions 25. The resistor member is further formed to comprise either two substantially parallel parts or a greater number of such parts or conrolutions which 'may-be inte- 4orally endconnccted, the portions Qtbeing alincll` laterally of the convolutions, as are also tlie portions Q5. all portions. being located in the plane of the convolutions. rlhe width of each portion 25 is substantially equal to or slightly less than the width ot' the narrower part oi each slot 2Q and the width ot each portion 24 is substantially the same as the width of the wider portion of cach ol said. slots. The refractory resistorsupporting members 19 are located in spaced-apart relation in the Jfurnace and the resistor member Q3 is of such area iii lat eral cross section as to be substantiallyl selfsupportinp; between the refractory resistorsupportingY members.

Then the resistor meml'iers 23 are located in one ol the side Walls it isdesirablc tot provide means placed between tliose portions lIO by two adjacent portions 24 during the installation otl the resistor.

If it is desired to insert a resistor member in the supportiiacr members. it is placed with the portions 25 in operative engagement with tirst the narrower and then the wider parts ot the slots 22 in the supporting means 18, after which it is moved, in thelongitudinal direction, until the more widely separated portions Qt are. located in the wider portionsot' the slots and are held by the orerhangring flanges. 'In order to remove a resistor member. the reverse operation may be employed.

The device embodying my invention provides a relatively simple preformed` resistor member which is substantially self-supporting between the supporting members and may easily and quickly be mounted in. and dismounted from. the support-ino' means in the furnace.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and l desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the.

prior art or are specifically set forth in thel appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. An electric furnace comprising resistor having integral end-connected and substantially parallel-extending parts comprising oppositely offset portions.

2. In an electric furnace, in combination, :a resistor having a plurality ot substantially parallel-extending integral parts, eah part havingr portions offset in the plane or" said parts. t A

3. An electric furnace comprising a plurality ot pairs of integral end-connected and substantially parallel-extemling resistor parts having symmetrically spaced portions which are a greater distance apart than the other portions of said rods.

4. An electric-'furnace comprising a resistor having substantially parallel-extending return-bent parts, each part havingY portions crimped in the plane of said return-bent parts.

5. An electric furnace comprisinglr a resistor having substantially parallel-extending return-bent parts, each part having,r symmetrically located portion oppositely oil"- set in the plane ot said return-bent parts.

6. ln an electric furnace, in combination, a plurality of relatively narrow. spaced refractory supporting members, cach having a plurality of spaced slots. ot substantially T- shape, in one tace thereot. and a resistor member comprising integral end-connected substantially parallel-extendin;r eonvolutions having portions located at. different distances from each other, said resistor member beingrr initially' located in said slots in a position longitudinally displaced from its operative position.

i'. An electric Alurnace cmnprisingr a plurality of pairs ol: symmetrically and oppositcly formed integral end-connected convolutions, the distance between said convolutions being.r rccurrently variable.

8. ln an electric t'urnace, in combination. a plurality ot' spaced refractory supportinrg` members in said walls and extemlinj.:y into said chamber, cach having a plurality of spaced slots, substantially of l"-shape, in the portion extending into said chamber. and a resistor member havinglr a plurality ot inte- ,gral substantially parallel--extending parts, each parti having portions oppositely otl'set in the plane' ot said parts, said oppositelv otlset portions lyingY in said slots ol T-shapc to maintain said resistor in operative position in said furnacechamber.

t). 4ln an electric furnace. in combination` a plurality 'ot walls enclosing a furnace chamber, a plurality ot spaced, relatively narrow refractory resistor-supporting members extending into said chamber. each having a plurality ot spaced slots. substantially ot' T-shape, in the portion extending' into said chamber, and a relatively heavy resistor rod or bar havinch a plurality ol integral substantially parallel -e.\tending end-connected parts, each part having portions op positcly ollset in the plane ot' said parts, said resistor member initially engaging' said snpporting members at its narrow portions and tinally tmgaginprr said supportingr members at its wider portions and being' self-support.- ing;I between said ret` actory supports.

ln testimony whereof. l have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day ot (dictobcr, 192i.

THOMA S A. RlClD. 

